Method of and means for attaching shoe heels



Feb. 5, 1946. J. 5. KAMBORIAN 2,393,990

-METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR ATTACHING SHOE HEELS Filed Sept. 22, 1943Jaccezflmar m czw@ W9".

Patented Feb. 5, 194a METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR ATTACHING SHOEHEELS I 3Jacob 's. Kamborian, West Newton, Mass. Application September 22, 1943,Serial No. 503,339

3 Claims.

This invention pertains to the manufacture of footwear and relates moreparticularly to a novel method of and means forattaching heels, forexample wood heels, to shoes. Most prior methods of attaching wood heelsto shoes are'inadequate not only with reference to the diflicultiesencountered in satisfactorily performing the heeling operation, but alsoin that the attaching means, for example nails, does not provide areliable anchorage, so that it is a common occurrence for a heel tosplitor pull off. The principal object of the present invention is to providean improved method of and means for attaching wood or other heels toshoes whereby the attaching operation may be performed expeditiously andwithout substantial danger of splitting the heel and whereby the heel isfirmly and reliably united to the shoe bottom. A further object is toprovide an improved 'methodof and means for attaching heels to shoes ofthe.

22, 1943, said counter having an integral bottom wall 4 which extendstransversely across the entire width of the shoe and which integrallymerges with a shank piece 5 (Fig. 5). In accordance with the presentinvention the shank piece is provided with a stiffener I, preferably ofmetal, although possibly of other materials, for instance a syntheticresin, having an elongate body portion which extends lengthwise of theshank piece 5 and which is longitudinally curved to the contour of theshank portion of the last. The stiffener also has a head 8 at its rearend, preferably transversely curved to conform to the transso-calledCalifornia or force-lasted type. Other and further objects andadvantages of the invention will be pointed out in the following moredetailed description and by reference to the annexed drawing-wherein:

l is a side elevation, to large scale, of one form of fastener embodyingthe present invention;

Fig. 2 is, an end view of the fastener of Fig. 1; I Fig. 3 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 1 but showing a modified construction; I

Fig. 4 is an end view of the fastener of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a perspectiveview of a lasted shoe with the upper broken away to show the counter;

Fig. 6 is a transverse section through the rear part of a shoe, showingthe heel assembled therewith and showing the improved attaching means ofthe present invention in operative position; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a shank stiffener useful in theperformance of the present invention.

Referring to the drawing the numeral I desig nates the outer element ofa shoe upper, the upper also comprising a lining 2 (Fig. 6) The shoechosen for illustration, but without limitation as to the scope of theinvention, is a shoe of the force-lasted type having a sock lining 3whose margin is secured by an inseam 3 to the lining '2 of the upper atthe heel end of the shoe, this verse curvature of a last bottom, thehead being substantially wider than the body portion of the stiffenerand preferably having. a central opening 9 and desirably provided with aplurality'of prongs l0 arranged symmetrically about the Fig. 5 shows theshoe upper and the counter assembled upon a last with the shank piece 5inplace and with a sole 5 assembled with'the upper. In assembling thestiffener l with the otherparts, it is arranged upon the under surfaceof the shank piece 5 with the prongs l0 directed downwardly, and thehead 8 is subjected to a blow or blows sufllcient to force the prongsIll through the shank piece 5 and the other elements of the bottomstructure and against the metal heel plate of the last so that theprongs are clenched over at the upper surface of the bottom structure.The prongs are thus visible at the upper surface of the bottom structureand, as

they are symmetrically located with reference to of the shoe upper. Amoulded counter l is 1n-'.. .9

terposed between the lining and outer member" counter as hereillustrated being of the kind more fully disclosed in the copendingapplication of Kamborian, Serial No. 503,338, filed September theopening 9, constitute locating means to indicate the position of theopening 9.

. In accordance with this'invention a heel fastener H such as shown inFigs. 1 and 2, is provided. This fastener has a head i2 provided with aslot l3 for the reception of a screw driver or similar tool, thefastener having a tapering body portion provided with external screwthreads ll.

In Fig. 1 these screw threads are like those of a conventional woodscrew, but the lower end of the tapered body portion of this fastener is(Fig. 2) each formed at the lower end of a groove 18 which extendslongitudinally of the body ortion of the fastener.

tener and completed the shoe to the point indi- Having provided thefascated inFig. 5, an outer sole 6 is applied to the shoe bottom, a heelH is-assembled with the other parts in proper location, the shoe beingright side up as shown in Fig. 6, and then the fastener I l is forceddown through the several elements of the shoe bottom by means of asuitable'tool T, for

tates the fastener and thus causes its cutting edges l to bore or drillan opening in the material of the heel H, the chips escaping up throughthe groove l6.

Instead of a tapering fastener such as that of Fig. 1, a fastener likethat shown in Figs. 3 and 4 may be employed. This fastener II has thehead I 2 slotted, if desired, for the reception-of a tool but in thiscase the body portion of the' fastener is substantially cylindrical andis pro-, vided with screw threads l4 similar to those of a machinescrew. At its lower end the fastener is provided with one or morecutting edges l5 formed at the lower end or ends of a helical groove orgrooves 16. This fastener may be applied in the same way as thatindicated in Figs. 1 and 2. f

Since the fastener extends through the opening 9 in the metalstiffener"! and since the head 81s of substantial extent, a very firmanchorage for the heel H is assured and the heel isreliably retained inplace during the ordinary life of the shoe.

While the provision of the opening 9 in the shank stiffener facilitatesintroduction of the fasexample a power driven screw driver which rothelast, providing a fastener element, first locating thetip of thefastener element in axial alignment with the opening, in the stiffenerby referenceto the visible prongs of the stiffener and then attaching aheel by inserting the fastener element through the socklining member andthe j opening in said shank stifiener and into the heel.

2. Themethod of making a shoe having an upper including an outer elementand a lining, a

sock lining anda shank piece underlying the rear 1 part of the socklining, which comprises as steps providing a shank piece integral with a.counter and provided with a stiffener including an elongate body andasubstantially fiat head provided with a central opening and a; pluralityof lipstanding prongs disposed symmetrically about said opening, soassembling the shank piece with the other parts that the counter isinterposed between the outer element and lining of the upper with theprongs of the stifiener penetrating the sock lining suificiently toindicate, at the upper side of the sock lining, the location oftheopening in the'stifiener, inserting a last, attaching an outer sole tothe bottom structure, providing 'a screw-threaded fastener elementhaving at one end an enlargedhead of greater diameter than said opening,its threaded portion having a bittener, it is contemplated that if thehead portion 8 of the stiffener be of soft material, the fastener maydrill its own opening in the stifiener.

While the heel fasteners of Figs. 1 and 2 are; particularly desirable inshoes of the force-lasted type because of the insecure heel anchoragewhich such shoes ordinarily afford, it is to be understood that they maybe of utility in attaching heels to shoes of other types; Likewise theshank stiffener herein shown, may be of utility in shoes of other kinds.

While certain desirable embodiments of them- .vention have beenillustrated and described, it is to be understood that the invention isnot lim-'- ited to these precise arrangements but is broadly inclusiveof any constructions falling within the terms of the appended claims.

I claim: I V V 1. The method of making a shoe'which comprises providingan upper having an outer element and a liner secured together alongtheir top edges and a sock lining secured along its mar-v ginal portionto the lower edge of said liner, the lower marginal portion of saidouter element being free and providing a. lasting allowance, inserting alast within the upper, providing a combined shank piece and counter, theshank piece being furnished with a stifiener having an elongate body anda substantially fiat head provided with a central opening and aplurality of upstanding prongs symmetrically disposed about saidopening, arranging the shank piece to extend longitudinally of the shankand heel portion of the shoe bottom structure with its counter portiondisposed between the outer element and the lining of the upper and withthe prongs of its stiffener projecting upthrough the bottom structure soas to be visible at the upper surface of the bottom structure thereby toindicate the location of the opening in the stiffener, turning in andsecuring the lasting allowance of said outer element of the upper to themarginal portion of said sock lining, attaching an outer sole to thebottom structure, removing the shoe from like end, assembling a heelwith the bottom structure and permanently securing the heel in place byfirst locatingthe tip of the fastener element in axial alignment withthe opening in the stiffener by reference to the visible prongs and theninserting the fastener element through the sock lining and the openingin the stifiener and into the heel.

3. The method of making a, hoe which comprises providing an upper havingan outer element and a line secured together along their top centralopening, arranging the shank so that its stiffener extendslongitudinally of the shank and heel portion of the shoe, providingmeans at the upper side of the shoe bottom structure to indicate thelocation of the opening in the stiffener, wiping in and securing thelasting allowance of said outer element to the marginal portion of saidsock lining, attaching an outsole to the structure, removing the shoefrom the last, providing a screw-threaded fastener element having at oneend an enlarged head of greater diameter than said opening in thestiffener, its threaded portion tapering to a bit-like end, assembling aheel with the bottom structure 'of the shoe, arranging the fastenerelement with its tip in contact with the upper surface of the socklining and in axial alignment with the opening in the stiffener byreference to the indicating means, and permanently securing the heel inplace by inserting said fastener element through the sock lining and theopening in said shank stifl'ener.

JACOB s. KAMBORIAN.

